Chant Avedissian is a fundamental part of the modern and contemporary art landscape of the Arab world and – through this representative selection of his work – we aim to achieve two different objectives at Casa Árabe: On the one hand, in line with our institution’s mission, to introduce the Spanish public to the critical thought and artistic expressions of the work of artists that are not very well-known in Spain’s cultural scene. And on the other, which is specifically the case with the work by this artist, we hope to foster the promotion of his work from a global perspective, by including elements which are less emphasized by art critics, but equally essential. With this in mind, our collaboration with the Gallery Sabrina Amrani has been a central element thanks to her recent ‘rediscovery’ of this artist's work.

This exhibition thus includes some of his famous ‘Cairo Stencils’, an iconographic and analytical compendium of the social and cultural history of Egypt which have earned the artist great recognition in the international arena. However, other works are on display, as well, which, though more recent, include the main concernsimportant to this artist since he studied decorative arts and textile design. In these instances, his work contemplates the process of forming and reproducing basic geometries and ornamental patterns that make up the cultural foundations of myriad civilisations. This contemplation is the result of the artist’s desire to break with Western academicism and give shape to his personal commitment to Eastern cultures in all their great diversity and breadth. Last of all, I would like to point out that, like art, music keeps a perfect record of cross-cultural influences. The artist's own choice of music for this exhibition serves as a metaphor for this hybridisation.